Scottish Indian trade facts for kids

Long ago, in a time called Colonial America, there was a big business called the Indian Trade. This trade was mostly about deerskins, which are the skins of deer. But it also included beaver and other animal pelts (furs). Scottish traders and their companies played a huge part in this trade.

Native American tribes hunted animals and traded their skins for goods from Europe. These skins were then sent across the Atlantic to Europe. There, they were used to make leather. This trade had been growing since the 1600s, and Scottish traders helped it become very successful.

Why Scots Were Great Traders

Scottish people became very good at the Indian trade for several reasons. They had unique ways of working with Native American tribes.

Cultural Connections

One big reason was that Scots and Native Americans had some things in common.

Similar Ways of Life

People noticed that Native Americans really liked the Highlanders. This was because Highlanders had "wild manners" and "manly sports." Their traditional clothes were also much like those worn by Native Americans. Both groups also had societies based on clan or tribal ties. This meant families and groups were very important. These similarities helped build trust. Native Americans often preferred to trade with Scots over other traders who seemed very different.

Adapting to New Ways

Scottish traders were also willing to understand and use Native American customs. Many Scots lived in Native American villages on the frontier. They often married Native American women. This was different from French traders, who usually did not marry into the tribes.

Marrying into a tribe helped Scottish traders a lot. They became part of an Indian clan. This gave them a network of family and customers. Their wives also shared important information about the tribe's needs and plans. These marriages also offered protection and a steady group of customers. Scottish traders usually did not try to change the Native Americans' beliefs or customs. They did not preach Christianity or interfere with their ways. This was different from the Spanish, who built missions and tried to convert Native Americans.

As one historian said, "Scottish resident traders... connected themselves to the existing culture instead of proscribing or attacking it." This approach worked so well that by the time of the American Revolution, many Native American chiefs had both Native American and Scottish family, like Alexander McGillivray, a leader of the Creek people.

How the Trade Worked

Scottish traders also changed how the Indian trade was done. This helped it grow a lot.

Forming Companies

Instead of working alone, Scottish traders often formed companies. Smaller traders would work for these companies. They did this to reduce competition, which could lower profits. It also lowered the risk for each trader. Plus, it allowed them to combine different skills and experiences. These companies could keep traders in Native American lands all the time. This helped solve any problems that came up.

A very successful example was the "Gentlemen of Augusta" company, also known as Brown, Rae and Company. By 1755, they controlled three-quarters of the trade with the Creek and Chickasaw tribes. This company also treated Native Americans fairly. They set clear prices and had special villages for trade. Other traders and companies in Georgia and Carolina soon copied these good practices. This helped reduce problems between Native Americans, traders, and the colonial governments. These new ways of trading helped Scottish companies control much of the Southern Indian trade until the 1760s.

Better Goods and Credit

After 1707, when Scotland and England joined to form Great Britain, Scots gained access to more factories and money centers. Scottish traders used money from London. They also used a network of other Scottish merchants and their money.

It was very important to offer "credit." This meant traders would give goods to Native Americans before they received the animal skins. The skins then had to be shipped across the Atlantic and sold before the traders got their money. Great Britain could make and deliver better quality goods that Native Americans wanted more than those from the French or Spanish. Even during wars, Scottish traders could keep supplying goods. The French and Spanish often struggled to do this. This made Native Americans prefer British, or Scottish, traders. They offered better payment terms, a reliable supply, and a wider variety of better goods.

Helping the Government

British colonial leaders often used Scottish traders as messengers, translators, and sources of information. They also used traders to deliver presents (or bribes) to Native Americans. This made the traders more popular. Unlike the French, who made Native Americans travel far to get presents, Scottish traders brought them directly. This also meant traders didn't have to use their own money for gifts.

This extra job helped traders connect Native Americans with colonial leaders. They could share government plans and ideas, which built trust and encouraged more trade. Lachlan McGillivray was one famous trader who also acted as an ambassador. He helped open up trade with the Choctaw tribe for the British and helped them revolt against the French.

The End of the "Scottish" Trade

In 1759, the British took over New France (now Canada). After this, Scottish merchants became very important in Montreal. However, the American Revolution soon separated these Scottish merchants from their relatives in the Thirteen Colonies.

From then on, the Scottish traders in Montreal, who formed the North West Company, focused only on lands claimed by the British in North America. Meanwhile, Scottish-American traders in the new United States became part of the "mountain man" tradition in the central part of the continent. Trading in each other's territories became a serious international issue.